Voices
by Lark57
Summary: Okay so i'm really bored and finally decided to update the summary of this thing. Chapter 4, the End is here and waiting for you to read even though the story was finished a LONG time ago. Okay, read, enjoy, review if it so strikes you.
1. Control

****

Voices : Control

Author's Note: I am working on other ..longer..stories and I will try to have the first parts out soon enough, but until then it will be nothing but short stuff coming from me, nothing involving too much of a complicated plot. **Oh and this is AU [Alternate Universe]** **in sense that there is no Sailor Moon group but the Gundam pilots still exist and there's a lot of OCC, it also lacks a plot, an important one anyway.**

Thoughts-//yadda yadda yadda//

Change in person-+++

Hotaru's bashings to herself in voice of father- 'yadda yadda yadda'

I was hoping that my parents would buy me Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon, since I'm starting 9th grade and all, but alast, I own nothing, not yet anyway. **:Lark smiles but owners of shows shake their heads:**

Lark:Well I can dream. PLEASE REVIEW! On with the story.

+++

Her shoulder length, raven black hair was pulled into a tight bun with wisps of shorter hair stuck to the back of her red and sweat ridden face and neck. It had been hours since she had taken a water break but the petite and lean girl was determined to dance the entire program without a mistake. //Practice makes perfection, practice makes perfection,// she continually thought to herself, leaping elegantly across the waxed floor once more but seeing a mistake in the mirror across from her.

"Hotaru! Hotaru," Rini, her friend called out from the door to the dance studio. She had already changed into her everyday clothes and had her gym bag in hand. Her bright pink hair was French braided but she had pulled out a few hairs to make it look more natural. "Hotaru, you've been practicing since 5, it's already 8:30. Sereana is waiting for us."

"Fine," Hotaru admitted defeat although her left foot was still a little low in her leap when she led with the right. She would have to fix it tomorrow, sure the audience would never guess but her parents...her parents would know, they always knew.

'I spend all this money and you're still messing up with a simple jump' her father's voice scolded in her head. The girl felt a tightening on her heart but pushed it back and rubbed away a tear.

[Yes, Hotaru has parents, why you ask? Because.]

After a hurried locker room shower and change of dress, Hotaru saw Rini outside, talking to Sereana and her boyfriend, Darien. "Sorry for keeping you," the ballet expert apologized humbly when they were climbing into the car.

"Oh that's okay Firefly," Sereana said, using Hotaru's pet name, "I wasn't really ready to leave gymnastics anyway."

"Yes, but I will be sure not to make you late again," Hotaru promised and leaned her head against the window, watching the passing cars. //Sereana must have so much fun jumping around, flipping over herself. And look how strong she is, she must do everything exactly right,// the girl thought admiration.

'You'll never be like that girl, you'll always be nothing,' her father's voice rung out clear as a church bell but Hotaru kept her feelings hidden from the other passengers in the car.

"What'cha thinking about Hotaru?" Rini asked.

"Nothing much, just the performance on Friday. My dad is coming this time, he had a meeting postponed in Dallas just to come," she said with enthusiasm. Her father hadn't come to a performance since she was four.

"Oh that's great, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," Sereana chimed in. //I hope so,// Hotaru mused sadly. //He's never happy to see me though, I'm always a disappointment, I'll just have to try harder this time.//

"Do you want to come to our house for dinner?" Rini offered.

"No, I've got a lot of biology homework," Hotaru lied. She never had homework, she always finished it during studyhall. Her mom made her do that so that she would be able to get a scholar ship for academic reasons if she couldn't get into a good ballerina school. The truth was that she wasn't in the mood to be social, just tired.

"Alright," Rini said, and Hotaru could tell that her friend knew she was lying but that was okay. Another few minuet drive and Sereana let Hotaru out near the metro that she would take to her house in the nicer area of town.

"Miss, could you spare a coin?" a youngish man requested, looking cold and hungry.

"Sorry, I don't have any money but you can have my food if you want," Hotaru offered. The old man looked a little disappointed, which probably meant he had planned to buy drugs with her money, that's why food was better. She handed him her power bar and went to catch the next train.

It was only a 20 minuet ride to her house, but that was enough time for Hotaru's life begin to change. When she boarded, wearing a gray stretch skirt and light purple tank top, a few heads turned. She took a seat facing a sleeping boy with dark honey colored hair covering half his features. By the look of his clothing he wasn't well off, or even middle class. //Another one,// she thought sadly. There were always poor people close to the nicer parts of town.

"Hey pretty girl?" a voice whispered behind her. Hotaru sighed. She was already exhausted, she didn't need to be pushed around by some guy trying to get head. "Don't blow me off bitch," the man said, changing tones quite suddenly. 

//Please...not now,// Hotaru prayed. There weren't many people who could help her if she got into trouble except for an old man and the sleeping boy. It wasn't like ballet had made her some great fighting expert. She wasn't weak but she wouldn't be able to take on a group of five drunk men.

'Always weak, never able to stand up for yourself,' the thought flashed across her mind quickly. //Yes, weak, always weak,// Hotaru agreed, remembering her failed attempts at some harder gymnastics moves that she had been teaching herself.

"You gonna answer my friend," another voice breathed into her ear, sending a chill down her spine. "Huh? You ain't nothing but a fucking piece of shit and you should know when to answer a man."

//Don't turn around,// Hotaru warned herself, keeping her breathing level, //They can probably sense fear.// "Please go away," she murmured as a thought, not meant to be said out loud.

"Say what whore?" the 2nd man said, and Hotaru felt a cold blade of metal against the back of her neck. "I know you said you want me and my friend," he guessed with a chuckle.

"Leave her alone," the prevously sleeping boy demanded. Hotaru kept her face down, afraid that motion would dig the knife into her neck but watched the shadows move. "Leave her alone," the boy repeated, his voice threatening and firm.

"Whatever man," the thug said, turning around and snickering to his buddies.

Hotaru felt the knife move away and looked up at her knight. She was greeted by thoughtful eyes that changed from green to hazel depending on the light angle. "Are you alright?"

Hotaru nodded silently. "Thank you," she finally spoke up and the boy just nodded before falling asleep against the window again. 

Soon enough the train pulled into her stop and Hotaru got off the bus, eager to get away from the mob or what have you. "Hope that never happens again," she sighed and took the maze out of the metro station to get onto the main road that would take her home.

+++

Trowa Barton watched the girl leave the train with a half opened eye. //She fits the description that the doctors gave me,// he thought, pulling a wrinkled e-mail out of his pocket. 

Trowa,

Rider Tomoe has stolen up to 1,000,000 million credits from the Sanq Kingdom Treasury. The best way to reach him is through his daughter, Hotaru Tomoe. At the moment she lives with her mother but it was rumored that she was put under the influence that her father is the center of the Earth. The best way to find her is to catch her when she is coming home from ballet. She has black hair, purple eyes, she's small and quiet. Gook Luck.

The Doctors

The pilot quickly grabbed his back pack and jumped off the metro train before it could leave the station. //I'll have to rent a hotel in this area, then transfer to her school,// he planned. Once he had reached the main road, he pulled out his laptop and quickly found a map of the area. Fortunately the apartment complexes were only a few blocks from the metro and Hotaru's house.

"What do you have available?" Trowa asked the apartment guard when he reached the complex. 

"I'm not the one to be talking to kid," the guard answered bluntly and pointed to the display board on the left wall. "Anything that's open will be over there." Trowa nodded and went to check out the board. There were a few adds for apartment rentals but the thing that caught his eye was a request for a house sitter while a family was on vacation.

"Furniture, bills paid for," Trowa listed the pros, "which means a phone line." He looked at apartment number, pulled out a cell phone. In a few minuets he had living arrangements for 10 days and the couple had offered to house him until they left. "Can I go up without being shot?" Trowa asked the guard.

"Sure kid," the man answered, apparently he had heard the conversation. Trowa nodded and trotted up 2 flights of stairs to room 259 where there was a middle aged blonde woman waiting for him with a giant grin.

"Hi, you must be Trowa," she greeted, taking his hand and shaking it vigorously. "I'm Cathleen, you spoke to my husband Scott on the phone. Thank you so much for taking care of our house, we've been looking forward to this vacation for a long time."

"You're welcome," Trowa said in his same calm voice that had only slightly more warmth than Heero's monotone. Cathleen invited him in and showed him his room which was good enough for the duration of the mission. It also had a phone line in it which would made it even better. 

"Scott is already asleep so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to meet him. Do you know what time you'll be leaving for..school is it?" Cathleen inquired.

"Well tomorrow is my first day so I'll be leaving early, around 6," Trowa explained. 

"And when will you be home?" she continued and Trowa began to feel like a kid instead of a 18 year old. //Great, a new mother.//

"8ish," he answered, "Is that all?" Cathleen nodded and went to her room for the night. Trowa closed the door to his room and began to unpack. He put a few clothes in the dresser, along with a couple of his handguns. Finally he pulled out his computer and hooked it up to the Internet. A instant messenger box popped onto the screen from the SHINIGAMI02.

Shinigami02:Hey Trowa how's the mission coming?

Unhappyclown03:I found Hotaru and rented out an apartment a few blacks from her house.

Shinigami02:What's she look like? I saw one of the pictures and she looks hot to me.

Trowa sighed. Duo never thought of anything but girls.

Unhappyclown03:She's pretty, small, someone you want to protect because she looks so fragile. 

Shinigami02:Ooooooooo, does a certain pilot have a crush? :}) Or at least what I like to call the Heero syndrome?

UNhappyclown03: What's Heero syndrome?

Shinigami02:The urge to protect someone, no matter what, no matter how annoying or ugly or stupid or weird (Releana)

Unhappyclown03:Hehe, I get it. Maybe I do, but I've only seen her once.

Trowa looked down at his watch when it beeped. Midnight.

Unhappyclown03:I have to go. I still have to enroll myself in the school and rent a car. send everyone my best.

Shinigami02:Good luck Tro' and don't get confused with your mission. Shinigami02 signed off.

//I wonder what he meant by that?// Trowa thought as he went through the boring job of regerestering into Tomoeda Highschool. With a few clicks of the button he was a senior student who had almost no classes except for the few that he could have with Hotaru, who was only a sophomore. 

"She's smart for a 10th grader," he commented as he went over her grades. All A's and she was apparently some sort of phenomenon in ballet. "Should I sign up for that too?" Trowa wondered. He could dance quite well but he wasn't good enough to get into her class. "They offer gymnastics." The pilot clicked on the dot and pressed send. "Done with that," he pronounced. 

Renting a car was a little more fun and he was able to get an okay black Eclipse which was the nicest thing they offered in this sort of suburb area. It was 12:30 when Trowa settled into the cot that had been put out for him. 6 hours of sleep would be enough.

+++

Hotaru woke up to the sound of her buzzing alarm. //6:30? School doesn't start 'till 8, I still have time to sleep.// She turned over in her bed and pulled the violet comforter over her head, that's when she remembered why she wanted to wake up early. 

"Damn," she cursed quietly and got out of bed, still dressed in yesterday's shirt and a pair of boxers. Last night she had been so tired from ballet that she had watched the news with her mom and went straight to bed without a shower or anything. "Never doing that again," she decided as she stumbled o her bathroom and stripped off her clothes.

"Hotaru? Was that your alarm?" her mother's groggy voice asked through the door.

"Yeah Mom, I didn't take a shower last night so I wanted to get up early. Go back to bed, I can get to school by myself," the teenage girl offered, stopping the shower and rapping herself in a towel.

"Take the Escort," her mom suggested instead.

"K," Hotaru answered as she walked into her room. Opening up her closet, she grabbed underwear, nylon flare pants that hung comfortably on her slim hips , a white tank top and dark purple duster. In five minuets she was dressed and ready to leave with keys in hand when she remembered her ballet bag.

"Oh yeah, I washed you leotard," her mother's voice spoke up over Hotaru's jumbled thoughts about the sudden closeness of the reccital. "It's on the dining room table along with your bag which I also packed."

Hotaru smiled happily and bent over to hug her still weary eyed mother, "Thank you so much Mom." She ran to the next room, grabbed her stuff, and went out to the car.

In 30 minuets she was at school, which left her about 45 minuets to put things away and get ready for her first class. //Bet no one is here except the teachers,// she thought as she pulled into the parking lot. Surprisingly there was another car in the lot that didn't look too familiar. 

"Must be a sub," Hotaru assumed and started towards the school with ballet and school bags in hand. She looked down at the book she was suppose to be reading for English and turned a couple of pages before she met with a soft object. "Ahh," she said felt herself stumble and start to fall. Suddenly a hand shot out for her to grab. She took it but instead of stopping the fall, the person who had offered their hand, fell on top of her.

"Sorry," a male voice apologized and Hotaru opened her eyes.

She was greeted by a somewhat familiar pair of bright green eyed and dark honey hair. "It's you!" she exclaimed, accidentally bumping her head with the stranger. "Oww, sorry."

'Clumsy stupid girl,' Hotaru's father murmured, catching her off guard and almost making her smack heads again.

"Yes I remember you also," the boy suggested, pushing himself off of Hotaru.

Hotaru stood up and dusted herself off then looked up at the guy who had saved her life yesterday. "I didn't know you went to this school," she said then added under her breath, "I didn't know you went to any school."

"I just transferred," the boy answered, "I am Trowa Barton."

"Hotaru Tomoe," Hotaru said, her voice a little light. //Wow, he's gorgeous,// she thought, her eyes a little large with awe. His face was long with a sharp nose and thoughtful green eyes that looked like the color of emeralds one moment and golden amber the next. "What grade are you in?" she said finally, breaking the awkward silence.

"12th," Trowa calmly, much more in control of his voice than Hotaru.

"Oh," Hotaru said, a little downcast, "I'm only a sophomore, I probably don't have any classes with you." She actually didn't mean to add the last part. //Now he'll think I'm weird, wanting to have classes with him.//

'You stupid girl, why would he be interested in you, you're only a small and skinny, terrible dancer,' her father's voice whispered in her head. Hotaru choked on a slight sob a second hit.

"Maybe," Trowa guessed, his eyes sshowing no emotion but simple understanding. Hotaru looked towards the ground, her eyes taking on a doeful look. Trowa's mouth barely twitched in pity before he spoke. "I have to go."

"Yeah, my locker, I should get there before school starts," Hotaru remembered, "Bye."

"Uh huh," Trowa agreed and walked off in the opposite direction of her, towards the class building.

+++

Trowa began to walk off, not caring that he wasn't going in the direction that he had planned. //Duo was right, she is hot.// His mind wondered back to Hotaru's small and compact body, the fact that her tank top was a little low in the front.

"You're a pervert," he said to himself and subconsciously looked behind him. She was still within seeing distance, her shoulder length hair swaying back and forth with her walk. "The guys would laugh to see me like this," Trowa mused. He turned in his path and head towards the senior hall where is where he meant to be going. Class would be starting in 15 minuets, he didn't want to be late.

+++

Hotaru arrived in the Sophomore Hall where her locker was waiting patiently. At first she didn't bother to open it, just leaned against the cool blue metal, her eyes a little red around the edges. 

"He's not here, he doesn't think that," she kept trying to convince herself. The sad truth was that her father would probably say exactly what she had thought or worse, which meant it was true, Father was always right. He had taught her that.

Hotaru wiped her eyes carefully so not to smear her eye liner and spun the combination on her lock. It opened with a creak and she transferred books back and forth between it and her backpack. Son enough she was ready to go to Biology II, then Spanish IV, and finally English, all before she went to lunch.

By the time she arrived to Biology, other classmates were starting to enter the school and she could hear people scampering around to reach their lockers and classrooms before the bell rung.

"Hey Hotaru," Rini greeted cheerfully, sitting down next to her lab partner.

"Hi," Hotaru said with the usual troubled voice that she got when confronted with her father's opinions. Rini never knew that though, she only knew what Hotaru was willing to tell her and that wasn't much.

"You okay?" Rini asked, looking at Hotaru's solemn expression.

Hotaru nodded to herself before answering. "Yeah I'm fine, just thinking about the performance again. I only have 3 days to practice so I'm still a little worried."

Her pink haired companion smiled happily and squeezed Hotaru's hand reassuringly. "You're practically perfect, there's no way you can mess up enough for anyone to care."

//What if perfect is the only thing I can be?// Hotaru contradicted, her smile almost fading away before she caught herself for Rini's sake.

"Class, please take out your text books and turn to page 576, Evolution," the teacher announced and Hotaru pushed all other thoughts out of her mind so she could concentrate.

+++

Trowa slid into a free desk after being introduced and ogled at by the people in Geometry II. There were various problems on the board that he had been taught to figure out in his head while everyone else pulled out their TI-83's.

"Done already Mr.Barton?" the teacher inquired with painful skepticism. Trowa nodded and handed the man his sheet, answers and explanations neatly writing out as if Trowa had been doing a write up of a mission. He had only done this because he was bored.

"Very good, you can get started on your homework, don't mind the rest of us while we check the problems over," the teacher said without sarcasm and walked away to inquire on other people's progress. 

Trowa spent 15 minuets on Math homework before pulling out his laptop and looking over his report on the mission so far. Everything was there so far, even the note from the doctors about Hotaru. 

//They forgot to mention she was a emotional nutcase,// Trowa said, remembering quite suddenly the sudden sadness that had appeared on her face during an akward silence. //I wonder what would cause her so much pain,// he mused seriously and typed the question up under possible important facts.

Class went on for another 30 minuets before Trowa was allowed to leave for Spanish IV which was one of the few classes he had with Hotaru. When he entered his object of watch was sitting across from a blonde boy and chattering quietly in Spanish.

"Quien es?" he heard the boy ask Hotaru.

"Yo soy Trowa Barton," Trowa interrupted Hotaru's answer, surprised that he had spoken without being asked anything.

"Ryan," the boy answered. "Ella es Yue," he pointed to a girl with pale while hair and icy blue eyes who smiled at him.

"Hola clase," Professora Lea greeted and the class responded back in unison. Trowa zoned out, still attentive when necessary but concentrated more on watching Hotaru. She seemed bent on doing well, always volunteering to read or answer a question. Even people who were really good didn't try to answer every question.

//She's striving to be perfect or something, like Heero,// Trowa guessed, remembering when Heero was just a trainee and drove himself crazy trying to please the Doctors, himself and everyone else in the world. //Who's she trying to please though? She's already popular enough, even with the senoirs and it's obvious that the teachers are enchanted with her.// 

+++

Hotaru could feel Trowa watching her, which was pleasing at first but then it slowly became distracting, which wasn't good. //If he doesn't stop I won't be able to past the quiz tomorrow, and Father, Father's coming tonight,// she thought with sudden horror. She looked at Professora Lea who was writing a list on the board, then she looked behind her and glared at Trowa, fiercely enough to keep him from bothering her.

//Great Hotaru, offend the guy who saved you life,// she thought sadly.

'That was good dear,' Hotaru heard her father, oddly soft and kind, 'Keep him away, such distractions brings no good.'

//Maybe it isn't bad if Father would be pleased,// Hotaru hoped and sank down in her chair, it didn't feel right.

"Adios clase," Lea said after a few minuets and Hotaru gathered up her stuff. Yue waited for her with a fretful look and followed her a few yards before speaking up.

"Hotaru, what's up?" Yue asked, but not in the friendly way. Yue had always been there for Hotaru, she was her older confidante while Rini was just a person to go shopping with.

"Nothing," Hotaru claimed but refused to look at the ice girl.

"Right, then how come you harassed that guy Trowa who was checking you out," Yue wondered. Then something dawned on her face, "You're father's coming today for the performance on Friday isn't he?" 

Hotaru looked down at her feet and Yue muffled a cry of sympathy. She could remember when Hotaru had drove over to her house, bruised and beaten, claiming that she had ran into the door while leaving. Yue had believed it until early in the mourning Mrs.Tomoe had called to say that Mr.Tomoe had beaten her after spilling something on the carpet.

"It's okay though Yue," Hotaru claimed with an elated voice, "I'm better now, I won't disappoint him this time." Yue was about to speak up when the bell rung, "I have to go, don't worry about me." She ran down the hallway towards English, and all Yue could do was watch.

//Or talk to Trowa,// she planned and scanned the hallway for the extremely tall boy who could protect Hotaru better than she.

+++

Trowa thought to himself over and over, //Strange, I wonder why she changed mods so quickly. I was sure that she had somewhat of a liking for me,//. The other thing that upset him was that he wasn't sure whether he was worried for reasons for the mission or because he actually wanted Hotaru to feel something for him.

"Mission, it's always about the mission," he told himself, "If Hotaru doesn't feel close to me then she won't confide in me about her father and the money, that will jeopardize the mission."

"TROWA!" a girl's voice yelled behind him and the pilot turned around hoping to see Hotaru but it was her friend Yue instead. "Trowa I need to talk to you about Hotaru."

"Yes?" Trowa inquired, leaning on the wall, interested to hear more about the mysterious Hotaru Tomoe.

"I need you to protect her," Yue requested and Trowa stared at her for further explanation but there was only silence.

"What do you mean?" Trowa asked.

"Don't ask, it's personal, just please try to look after her, she really needs some help and it's more than I can give," Yue said and turned around, disappearing down another hall.

"Help for what?" Trowa murmured to himself.

+++

Hotaru raced to English, escaping Yue's inquisition. //There's nothing wrong with Father, it's me. He has ever reason to feel the way he does. There's nothing wrong,// she kept repeating while she dug out her books and readied herself for class.

A few fellow ballerinas walked in and waved at Hotaru before sitting together on the other side of the room. //Why couldn't I be like them? Surround myself with friends and always have someone to turn to?//

'Because you're not good enough for that, they would never except you, never a nothing person like you,' her personal demon grated her nerves until the girl felt like she might scream except that she had too much self control to do so.

"Hey Hotaru, how was Spanish?" Rini asked, sliding into the seat next to her.

"Not bad," Hotaru said, smiling despite her inner turmoil. Trowa had been watching her quite closely which was nice.

'He probably found something wrong with you and was inspecting it further,' the voice bashed her hopes.

"Hotaru?" Rini called to her friend, "what is up with you today? You're really out of it."

The teenager eyes widen, //Rini can't find out, she would only worry to much.// "Nothing. Really. I forgot to tell you that last night when I was on the metro I was held up by these thugs and I thought I was going to die when this one guy held a knife to my throat."

"Oh that's horrible," Rini interrupted.

"Wait, this guy who was also on the metro stood up to them and practically saved my life. That's why I'm so shaken up," Hotaru explained, leaving out the fact that the boy was the most beautiful person ever to exist and that she had practically shunned him.

"That's so cool," Rini exclaimed quietly. "I'm glad you're alright."

"So am I," Hotaru agreed, forcing a jovial smile on her face and turning to concentrate on English.

She could hear the teacher talking about Hamlet, the betrayal and such but the teenager began to go over her ballet routine once more. The music was playing in the background, a Russian composition from her favorite opera, Beautiful Things. In her mind Hotaru was landing all the leaps perfectly, twirling in tight circles and curving her body like a professional. 

Out in the crowd her father, mother and Trowa were clamping and smiling. The dream stopped and Hotaru became alert. //Trowa?// she thought, //why would I care if Trowa was there?//

"And what Disney movie is an allegory for Hamlet? Ms.Tomoe?" her teacher inquired.

Hotaru looked up, her mind still a little jumbled but quickly mutter, "The Lion King." The teacher nodded suspiciously, his old blue eyes a little untrusting.

//Trowa would only be a distraction, my goal is to impress Father, not a meaningless boy from the metro,// Hotaru scolded her self. She let her self drifted back into her dream, only to be confronted by the tall, green eyed boy. The image dispersed with a shake of Hotaru's head and she looked around the classroom for another distraction. Her violet eyes landed on the poster for the Fall Ball.

Rini caught her looking at the large and gaudy poster, "This is the first year we can actually go, now that we're sophomores. The whole dance company is going, Gray already asked me."

"That's great," Hotaru murmured. It was after the gig, she could go as a treat to herself, maybe her father would even give her money to buy her a dress, not like she needed it. "Maybe we can go look at dresses after practice, since I have my mom's car."

"Yeah, that would be great," Rini agreed. The pinkish girl was quiet when she saw the professor raising an eyebrow to her and Hotaru continued to look around the room, anything to keep her mind off of the boy with emerald green eyes.

+++

Trowa miled around the resonably empty hallways for a few minuets before finding the computer lab and checking his e-mail. 

Trowa,

My mission is in the same area as yours, there's a diner on Yoko Street, about 15 minuets away from the school. Meet me for lunch at 11:45.

Heero

"Heero, polite as ever," Trowa said in a sardonic tone. It was only 11:00 so he had a while until he had to leave. Again, Trowa was left with nothing to do other than work on the report write up for the mission. "Except that I haven't gotten any new information, except for the fact that Rider has some control over Hotaru, which we already knew."

"Hey, you have a free period too?" Yue's regal voice said behind Trowa. The pilot's eyes widened and he quickly turned around to keep the girl from seeing the screen. 

"Yes," Trowa said, keeping the edginess down in his voice.

"Cool," Yue paused then thought of something, "I was going to go to the gym and practice for my gymnastics meet, you wanna come. Maybe I could teach you some stuff."

Trowa smiled and almost laughed, "Okay, let me sign off first." Yue nodded and walked over to the door, waiting for him. The fighter saved his report onto his disk then slipped it into the front pocket of his bag before joining Yue.

"So do you do any sports?" the girl inquired as they walked down the hallway.

"I use to work for a circus with my sister. I learned a couple things about gymnastics, tight rope walking, flyting trapeze and some other stuff," he answered, finding Yue's amazement a little funny.

"That's cool, I always wanted to run away to the circus when I was little, once I did too but my parents found me. That's how I got them to pay for gymnastics lessons," she explained. Trowa grinned appropriately.

"Here we are," Yue said, opening the gray doors to a room that was half covered by blue mats. "That's our section."

"Nice." The two spent a few minuets stretching and doing some simple stuff before Yue stood at the left corner of the matted floor and waved Trowa out of the way. Taking a deep breath, she ran up and dove into the ground, starting a set of flips and jumps. As quickly as it started, she paused and danced slowly to music from her own mind. 

Trowa watched in a teacher's admiration as she pulled her leg of with her head and dropped down one knee, then flipped her self on to her stomach. Sure he could do all the jumps and flips but when it came to the artistic part of the sport, he was as lost as the next guy.

Yue reached another corner of the mat, arched her back and slowly did a walk over, then did it the other way, began to alternate, gaining more and more speed until she flew into the air and landed perfectly.

"You're talented," Trowa complimented.

Yue bowed, her siver hair tumbling over her face, "Why thankyou sir. If you think that's great, you should see Hotaru at Gregory Dance Company's recital tomorrow night. She has something completely different from anyone else's."

"Really, how?" Trowa asked out of pure curiosity.

Yue smiled, "She's just so good at it and when she was younger, you could tell that she cared about what she was doing," the girl seemed proud then her voice became more downcast, "Lately though, she's lost that feeling, it's like she's only dancing by the book. You know what I mean?"

Trowa nodded. //Another thing that has changed, probably connected to her father.// "What's going to be different about this one?"

"She's been concentrating so hard on getting it right for her dad, I'm hoping that she'll push herself in to exhaustion and just become light like she use to be," Yue explained, her voice falling at the mention of Mr. Tomoe. Trowa was silent too, feeling that he had pressed to much. 

//So it is her father,// Trowa concluded and felt a burning spread through his blood. In his contained anger he noticed the clock read 11:30.

"I have to go," he said to Yue and quickly left for the parking lot before the other could respond. he reached his car in record time, knowing that Heero woud be there at least 5 minuets early and didn't like to wait.

Trowa climbed into the car and turned it on like a machine, unaware of his movements but sure that he was right. In his mind he reveiwed what he had done today, guessing that Heero would want a full report. 

"I'm not asking the correct questions to get near to Rider, only Hotaru," he critized and turned out of the school parking lot. For a few minuets he was quiet, contimplating very hard on the mission. 

Hotaru was a nice girl and he wouldn't mind getting to know her better but he hated playing a false lover, especially when it meant that the other would get burned in the end. //But I have to in order to even meet Rider.//

"I need the love pep talk from Heero again," Trowa said, recalling Heero's famous 'Love is shit' out burst when Quatre fell in love with one of the girls he was suppose to kill. That had kept Trowa away from woman for weeks.

The diner appeared through a line of trees, a long, flashy metallic silver car that was emblazen with neon lights. In the parking lot was Heero's grey blue convertable that he had bought on Releana's request. "Only he's allowed to be in love," Trowa said, but by the tone of his voice, he couldn't tell whether he was jealous or not.

"Is a Heero Huy here?" Trowa asked the waiter at the front. The twenty year old nodded solemnly and lead Trowa to a booth near the back of the sardine can.

Heero was waiting, playing idly with the straw in his water, dark chocolate hair falling over his head and hiding his Prussian eyes. He waited for the waiter to leave before he even acknowledged Trowa.

"You're alive," Trowa said and Heero nodded steadily. Pilot 01 had been in Palestine recovering some stolen merchandise and the fact that he looked like a Isrealite made it slightly more dangerous than usual. "Why are you here?"

"You were the closest one in the area, next to Duo," Heero said and Trowa required no explanation why the boy didn't want to go home just yet.

"Have you talked to Releana yet?" Trowa asked and enjoyed watching Heero squirm at the thought of his over protective girlfriend.

"No. I've only been here for a day," he said, trying to defend himself and Trowa had to stop himself from shaking his head in disapprovement. "How has your mission with Rider Tomoe been going?" Heero asked, hanging the subject.

"I've made contact with his daughter, Hotaru. The doctors were right, he has her rapped around his finger. It's sad to see someone so helpless and controlled," Trowa admitted.

"Duo said that I should worry about you remembering what your mission is," Heero added, randomly stirring his water again.

Trowa's eyes widened at the acusation. "What do you mean? I know what my mission is, to use Hotaru to get to Rider and figure out his plans."

Heero nodded silently the spoke, "and it has nothing to do with helping the girl with her problems...or becoming attatched."

"Of course not," Trowa said steadily but felt something inside him twist with a sharp pain. "Of course," he repeated quietly, more to convince himself.

++++

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Author's Note:Well that's the end of this chapter, I'm thinking that I'll probably have like three. The story won't be really long.


	2. A Father's Love

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Voices : A Father's Love

Author's Note : Yeah, I say stuff, you don't read it. Thanks for the reviews, I would love to have that much response for this chapter too. **Basic Disclaimers apply**

**Added**: For whoever mentioned the fact that Heero hates Relena, sorry but that's not true. Endless Waltz proves that, so does the last esp. of Gundam Wing, but yes I agree that it shouldn't be so, but I always have them together when I'm doing a story that isn't focused on Heero.

Thoughts-//yadda yadda yadda//

Change in person-+++

Hotaru's bashing to herself in voice of father- 'yadda yadda yadda'

+++

Hotaru walked into her house, sweaty and tired but set on edge by the fact that she had seen her father's Jetta in the drive way. //Please don't let him see me like this,// she prayed, slipped off her shoes and padded up to her room.

The green numbers on her clock read 5:30 which gave her 30 minuets to prepare for dinner with her father and mother. Hotaru pulled out her evening dress that her grandmother had sent her from Italy and set it on her bed. Downstairs she could hear her parents talking with weariness of each other, knowing that any false word could set off a court case. That was how her parents were.

She slipped into the shower quickly just to wipe off the perspiration of ballet and washed her hair. In ten minuets she was out again, blow drying her hair and then fastening it with a simple silver barrette. Then she walked into her room and zipped the dress onto her body, content with the fit and hoping her father would like it.

"Hotaru?" her mother's voice chimed at the door.

Hotaru walked to the door and opened it half way, "Yes?" she inquired softly, hiding the anticipation of dinner well.

"Dinner will be in ten minuets. Don't be late," Mrs.Tomoe warned. Hotaru nodded and pushed the door close. Her phone rang loudly in the tense silence and made the girl jump. She raced over, making sure not to trip over the length of the dress and picked it up. "Hello?" she greeted.

"Hotaru?" a male voice said questionably.

"Yes," Hotaru answered, "who is this?"

"Trowa." 

Hotaru's voice caught in her throat for a moment and she couldn't think of anything to say. //Why would he be calling me?// she wondered, positive that she had made it clear that she didn't want to be his friend in Spanish.

"Hotaru?" Trowa inquired, "I was wondering if you had the Chem homework."

Hotaru gasped when she realized she had stopped breathing, nodded then remembered she was on the phone. "Yeah I do, give me a moment."

'Can never do anything right can you girl?' her father's voice pin pricked into her mind for the first time since she had gotten home. 'Can't even get rid of a stupid boy, how do you expect me to be proud of you if you can't even complete a simple task like this?'

Hotaru paused in the middle of the room, feeling beaten down and even more tired than before. She couldn't take it sometimes, at the end of the day when she had spent hours listening to _him_ critique and criticize.

"Hotaru?" Trowa's voice rung out again, questioning but patient. Hotaru felt an odd comfort in its normal tone and grabbed her assignment book from her back pack.

"Sorry," she apologized on the phone. "We have page 458-465 and questions 1-18."

"Thank you," Trowa said. There was a click on the line and for a moment Hotaru stared at the caller ID screen that displayed Trowa's phone number. For a moment she thought of writing it down just in case she forgot some homework or needed help but her father's voice objected and said that if she didn't hurry she would be late for dinner.

"Thank you Father," Hotaru murmured although it scared her a little that she had begun to think of her own reprimands as her actual father. She walked out of her room and acceded the stairs with poise that very few possessed. 

Her father, Rider, was already in the dining room with the evening's paper, hiding behind it so he wouldn't have to converse with his ex-wife. "Hello Father," Hotaru spoke up, praying that she didn't squeak like a mouse.

The man laid his paper down, revealing a 40 year old with graying black hair and a sharp nose. "Well Hotaru, you have grown since I've seen you," he observed. "Cathy, what have you been feeding this child, lard?"

Hotaru winced, hearing her own thoughts agree haughtily. It was true she had gained some weight since she was eleven, but was that not expected.

//Apparently not,// Hotaru noted to herself. 

"What are you talking about Rider, she's as skinny as a toothpick," Mrs.Tomoe answered back, her voice harsh.

"Hardly," Rider muttered, looking his daughter up and down before she sat at the table. "Dear, don't slouch, it's bad for your back."

"Of course not, Father," Hotaru answered, keeping her eyes on her plate. Her mother walked into the room carrying the soup, clam chowder in one of her fancy giant china pots.

"With all the money I give you, you still don't hire a maid?" Rider scoffed as Cathy set the bowl on the table and took her seat. 

"Maria is in the kitchen cooking the rest of the food and I offered to bring this in so that the fish wouldn't burn," Hotaru's mother explained, reveling in making Rider silent.

"Are you prepared for the recital tomorrow, Hotaru?" Rider inquired and the girl's heart almost jumped into her throat.

"Yes, I have been working very hard to make everything perfect," Hotaru answered, letting excitement creep into her voice but not enough that it would become to apparent. "My partner, Shawn, is doing excellent for someone who has been on such a delayed recess."

"Couldn't take the competition? I knew that boy was weak," Rider assumed.

Almost instantly Cathy spoke up in a matter of fact voice, "He dislocated his leg while auditioning for New York's finest company and they still excepted him." Again Rider was quiet but Hotaru sent her mother a disappointing look.

"What?" her mom mouthed, but Hotaru just shook her head sadly. //How can she show the man who has kept us off the streets this kind of respect? Such a wonderful man.//

'Yes my dear, you understand what your father means to you and your mother,' her father's voice said with a pleasing tone. Hotaru felt a little warmer and poked at her soup. 

"How is school going?" Rider inquired further.

"Well. I'm in all of the junior classes that are open to sophomores and Leah, my Spanish teacher, is thinking of moving me up a class," Hotaru mentioned.

" 'Bout time you showed some initiative," he decided. 

"Yes," Hotaru agreed. //I will not cry, he is proud, he is,// she told herself silently while Maria brought in the salad and bread sticks. //Father, I know you love me. I love you too.//

+++

Trowa was stretched out on the couch, half watching some PBS special and using the other half of his brain to talk to Duo when the phone rung. He told Duo and promised to be back in a sec before meandering into the kitchen, expecting it to be Scott or Cathleen checking up on him again. 

"Trowa?" Hotaru's voice whispered on the phone.

"Hotaru?" Trowa answered back in surprise. //Why would she call me?//

"Yeah, uhm Yue isn't home and I really need to get out of my house," she explained quickly, never letting her voice rise much over a murmur.

"What? Why?" Trowa asked. //Rider came home tonight,// he remembered and his mind went on a rampage of what could be happening at the Tomoe house, only to be drawn back by Hotaru's objections.

"No, no," she whimpered but not to Trowa. The boy listened quietly and could hear a male voice on the other side. "Father, please. Please."

"You good for nothing bitch, cowering in a corner like a rat. That's what you are, a rat bitch, fat, little, skank just like your mother. Nuthin good come from rats," the man roared. Trowa dropped the phone in surprise and sprinted out the door. For a moment he thought of taking his car but the house was close enough to run.

The 18 year old ran down the block and jumped over the gate that separated the complex from the street. The scenes around him were a blur as he dashed across random yards, blessing the owners for not leaving their dogs out. His lungs screamed for him to stop and take a breath, but every time he slowed down some horrible image of Hotaru battered and bruised on the floor flashed across his mind. 

As Trowa turned the corner, only two blocks from the victim's house, he began to make out a small figure coming closer in his direction, stumbling and falling but picking itself back up again. As he got closer he began to hear what he guessed was a girl sobbing in between gasps. "Hotaru," he breathed and despite how tired he felt, Trowa sped up and met the girl as she finally collapse in his arms.

"Don't..don't let him," cough, "hurt me," she prayed, clutching to Trowa's stomach and weeping into his chest. "He won't stop talking...I can't take his talking."

Trowa was quiet and let her cry. It was dark and he couldn't see too well but under his fingers he could feel warm, sticky blood coming from some wound from Hotaru's back. "It's okay now," he murmured in her ear and was satisfied to hear her breathing slow. "It'll all be okay."

"Too much pain, it's all too much pain," Hotaru tried to explain but her words were still nothing but babble.

Trowa wasn't sure what he did to calm her down to a small whimper but in a few minuets he was carrying her in his arms down the street back to his apartment. //So Rider is an abuser too, I may not have to find the proof that he stole the money. I can turn his in for harassment then search the house,// Trowa planned logically but felt a pang of guilt. Right now the most important thing was getting Hotaru taken care of, then he could worry about how to get Rider in to jail.

"But isn't that what Heero and Duo warned me not to let happen, not to let Hotaru get in the way," Trowa reprimanded himself under his breath. It was true that he was taken the wrong path and it would only make his job harder. //But I can't leave this girl to fend for herself, who knows what would happen if I sent her back home now.//

"Were you talking to me?" Hotaru inquired, her speech barely a mumble.

"No," Trowa lied, "Can you walk now?"

Hotaru nodded and Trowa set her down on the side walk right before the first yard of many that they would cross. "My apartment isn't too far away," Trowa promised when he realized that Hotaru probably didn't feel like walking a mile.

"Uh hmm," Hotaru responded and there was silence. Trowa led her through the maze and soon enough the complex was looming over them. 

"Bringing a lady home?" the guard, who Trowa had learned was named Ralph, greeted happily as they marched through the room.

"Something like that," the boy answered, not looking up from the floor. He still hadn't seen the injuries that had been inflicted on Hotaru and he didn't want to see them until they were in the privacy of the apartment. "Here," he announced, pulling out a key and opening the door.

"Hmm," Hotaru observed, her face hidden behind her hair. "It's nice, smells like lemon."

"Yeah," Trowa coughed, "I'm renting it from a family on vacation until I can afford my own."

"Oh," Hotaru said and collapsed on the couch with a small 'poof'.

Trowa thought several times of asking what had happened but then it would seem too soon after the moment. Finally he turned to face her, only to find that Hotaru had fallen into a uncomfortable but deep sleep. 

"Don't they always fall asleep," Trowa thought out loud and knew that any gentlemen would carry the sleeping girl to his bed and then sleep on the couch. But Trowa was afraid to touch her, like it would disturb the fragile silence that Hotaru had gained. Not to mention he knew that the couch was too small for his 6 foot body. 

Hotaru turned over and curled into a tight ball, waking Trowa from his watching trance. He went to the linen closet and grabbed a blanket, then draped it over the small body. "Goodnight, tomorrow we will decide the rest of your life," the pilot whispered into Hotaru's ear and then retired to his own bed.

+++

In her dreams Hotaru was still crying, ashamed to have imposed on Trowa for help. Angry at herself that she still wasn't perfect enough for her father. 

"But I can be. I will be," she said out loud, her voice bouncing off the imaginary dream walls.

"Foolish girl. Stupid useless girl," her father bellowed, appearing quite suddenly, turning the scene to a pit of fire, leaving Hotaru on one unsteady rock. "You think you could ever please me?"

"Yes," Hotaru murmured carefully, trying to hold on to the fact that she was dreaming. //Only dreaming.//

"Then jump to me Hotaru," her father called out from his safe haven on the rim of the pit. "If you are so great and mighty, worthy of my love, prove it."

"But it's at least 20 meters," Hotaru whined. "I do love you Father, but I can not cross this without falling."

"If you loved me it would not matter that you may die," Rider's image answered, turning his back on her dismissively.

Hotaru looked down at her feet, then to the bubbling and boiling lava that would swallow her whole if she did not succeed. //But I love him,// she told her self and placed her left foot behind her right, preparing to jump.

Rider looked over his shoulder with slight interest but then quickly turned back around. Hotaru bit her tongue and took a leap. She caught the side of the rim, feeling quite pleased with herself and began to pull her body up. Under her weight the rock hand holds began to crumble and Hotaru desperately reached out her hand to her father. He made no acknowledgment and let Hotaru plunge to her certain death.

"I thought you loved me, Hotaru. You said you loved me," Rider said accusingly.

"I do. I do!" Hotaru exclaimed, scrambling for any hold but the rim wall had become smooth as glass. The idea that it was only a dream left the girl's mind and she began to scream, imagining how it would feel to have the heat of the lava burn away at her skin, eat at her bones.

"Hotaru, Hotaru," a warmer voice pushed her and the girl in question realized that she wasn't falling anymore. "Hotaru."

She opened her eyes and sat up with a start. "You saved me," she whispered almost inaudibly to the smart green eyes that were staring back at her.

"From what?" Trowa inquired and Hotaru took a moment to look around. There was no longer a well of burning hot lava but a dark blue carpet and large television. She was on a couch with a blanket on top of her and a very concerned boy looking at her. "From what?" he repeated.

"Nothing," Hotaru answered quickly and there was silence. The two teenagers looked deep into each others eyes and Hotaru felt Trowa's body move closer. When their lips met Hotaru heard classic music but ignored it, assuming that it was her own imagination. She began to rap her hands around Trowa's neck when she was surprised by the fact that there was nothing there.

"You actually think I would kiss you?" Trowa said in baffle and disgust. "Someone who can't even please their own father. How could you ever give me what I want?"

"What? Huh?" Hotaru said utterly confused. "I thought I was awake."

"You are you crazy bitch," Trowa scolded, his voice and face changing into her father. "I'm everywhere, watching you. I know what you want and I know what you can and can't get."

"I don't _want_ Trowa," Hotaru said more to herself that the man standing in front of her. "I want you, I want you to love me."

"Well that's too bad because that's not going to happen anytime soon. Not with a girl like you," Rider answered. From a mysterious place he pulled out a knife and began to move closer to Hotaru. 

The girl objected with pleas but then found herself tied to a silver dentist chair. Her father was growing close, telling her how lucky she was that he was her father and how unlucky he was to have a daughter like her. A sick, ugly, weak daughter like her. Hotaru began to cry again which only gave Rider lay way to more insults of how weak she was.

"Hotaru," Trowa's calming voice ran into her ears and through her body like a relaxing elixir. 

"No, no," she sputtered, opening her eyes and sitting up, trying to push the boy away. "You're not real, it's just a dream. A horrible, horrible dream."

"It isn't a dream, Hotaru," Trowa said. 

//No, Father is testing me, trying to see if I'll make the same mistake twice. But I won't. I'm smarter than that,// Hotaru argued in her mind. She felt a sharp pain in her arm which brought her back to reality and she realized that Trowa had just pinched her.

"You're not dreaming," Trowa promised, sitting down next to her.

Hotaru was quiet, keeping her head down, trying to avoid the soul-seeking eyes that Trowa was blessed with. //Curse them. Once I look at them I know I'll just start crying again.// Hotaru kept her vision firmly downward until Trowa slipped his fingers under her neck and pulled her chin up to look at him. //I know I would start crying,// Hotaru mumbled sadly in her thoughts and felt the warm tears spill out of her eyes.

Trowa gave a start, not sure what to do when a girl starts to cry at the sight of you. //Stay away, Trowa,// he warned himself, //Nothing good can come from helping her.// But there Hotaru was, bent over, salty droplets pouring down her face, speckling the blanket on her lap. 

Hotaru felt alone and cold. //I must look like a child, sitting in this guy's living room, crying like crazy for reasons he can't even guess.// Her realistic views made Hotaru stopped crying and look up at the confused Trowa with red and puffy eyes.

"Thanks," she muttered when he handed her a tissue. She patted her eyes and blew her nose before throwing it away in the near by trash can. "We're probably late for school," Hotaru reminded herself of just one more problem. 

"No, it's 5 in the mourning," Trowa said, letting the tiredness show in his voice.

"Oh, then you should go back to sleep, I'll walk myself home," Hotaru decided but looked unkindly out the window.

"No, I'll walk you. I don't want you to get hurt again," he said and helped her off the chair. Hotaru slipped and fell into his arms, looking up at him, looking into those spring green eyes. "Hotaru, what happen?"

For a moment the girl was wondering why he cared how she slipped but then quickly realized that he meant what had happened last night. Why she was covered with ugly, molted bruises. "Can I see?" he inquired further, moving his hand to push her hair out of the way.

Hotaru backed up and moved away the black mess to reveal her scars. There was a four line scratch that dragged itself along her cheek, ended with a dark blue mark. On her eyes was the customary black eye that actually matched the color of her eye. Hotaru watched Trowa's eyes linger down her neck and widen at the sight of strangle bruises.

"You need to turn him in, Hotaru. If I hadn't been there he could have killed you," Trowa advised just like Yue had when Hotaru had gone to her house.

"No!" Hotaru said defiantly. "I won't give my father over to the police. Who knows what they could do to him for something like this."

"But," Trowa started and Hotaru could tell that he didn't understand, just like Yue hadn't understood, just like her own mother hadn't understood. Hotaru had made up a horrible excuse of being afraid that her father would get out of jail and kill her. Of course that had been a story but it had kept Rider out of jail and that was all Hotaru needed. 

//I don't need anyone's help to become perfect or please my father. I also don't need any help getting rid of the man who sets my standards that have molded me from the age 5,// Hotaru decided and headed toward the door.

"Hotaru," Trowa objected, moving to catch her but the teenage girl closed the door too quickly, hitting the boy in the face. She winced when she heard the smack but continued to walk out of the apartment complex and out into the bitterly cold streets of autumn.

"Stupid, I must look stupid," she muttered, wrapping her arms around her bare shoulders for warmth and crossing the yards to her house. Somewhere around the 4th block she began to sneeze and knew that the cold and her tiredness had finally caught up. "Wish I could skip class," she murmured but then recalled the Shakespeare test.

Somewhere in the back of her head Hotaru wished that Trowa had followed her, tried once more to care for her.

'A boy like that would never care for you my little bafoon,' her father's voice reminded her and her pace increased. //If I go fast enough maybe I'll knock him out of my head, finally be in peace with my own thoughts and views,// she contemplated. 

'You can never rid yourself of me, I am you,' the voice assured Hotaru and the girl imagined a devilish laugh in the background. She looked up and saw her house ahead, now accompanied by this evil green glow like in the horror movies she watched as a kid.

Walking around the back, Hotaru peeked her head in and listened carefully. There wasn't a sign in the house that her father was awake to rant at her for leaving in the middle night. She took a cautious first step onto the tile and then another. Mechanically she moved through the kitchen and to the stairs that would lead to her bedroom, her haven.

"Hotaru, where were you last night?" a voice asked and Hotaru jumped in fright. When she turned around she was greeted by her mother's blood shot eyes and blotchy face. Her mother motioned with her head to the couch where Rider laid in a drunken sleep.

"A friends," Hotaru answered quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, for now," her mother answered caustically. Hotaru could tell that her mother was sending signals for Hotaru to give her permission to call the cops, but Hotaru had made it clear if Cathy ever attempted to do that she would run away from home.

"Good," Hotaru answered, denying the request and gave her mother a quick hug before retreating upstairs. 

In the cool room there was evidence of the previous events, blood spots on the carpet, sheets discarded on the floor and the open window where Hotaru had escaped to the waiting arms of Trowa. Hotaru sighed and cleaned up her room without a tear, as if nothing had happened but a wild party. //That proves that it's happened too many times, I don't even care anymore.// She reached for the window then decided against it even though the room was reaching a cold tempeture. 

//I'll always have somewhere to run,// she thought then wrote it on a post-it and taped it to the window. Only then did she close and lock out the brisk wind.

+++

Trowa arrived at school at the normal time, having taken a small nap after his ordeal with Hotaru. The halls were crowded but he had a height advantage and almost instantly spotted Yue waving at him.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully then some how sensed that he wasn't in a good mood. "She came to you didn't she?" There was no need to mention who 'she' was.

Trowa gave a curt nod. He felt guilty that he hadn't fulfilled Yue's request, that he had let Hotaru receive such pain in only one night. And even when she had come he had offered no sort of comfort. //I made her leave,// he added.

"Is she alright?" Yue asked in a low voice, suddenly becoming more paranoid of the people around her. 

//I think,// he answered in thought but again only answered with a nod. Yue realized that it was a private matter and did not pressed anymore. She walked away to another friend and Trowa was left alone once more.

The five minuet bell rung and most people streamed into their class rooms, giving Trowa space to jog to his own locker. After gathering his books he began to head to Latin Literature when a dark creature caught his eye. 

"Hotaru," he inquired when he saw the girl leaning tiredly against her lockers, tears wetting hands and nylon gloves. Compelled by a primal feeling Trowa gathered her small and feeble body in his arms then pushed up her head to face him.

"It's not his fault," she cried as Trowa's eyes expanded once more. On the small white cheeks of the girl was another newer yellow bruise and dried scrape on the side of her head.

"Well then who's it is, Hotaru?" Trowa seethed angrily but still held her gently. "It's certainly not yours."

Hotaru looked down, shamed sweeping her eyes, "It is though," she whispered.

"How?" Trowa inquired further, praying that the bell wouldn't choose this crucial moment to ring.

Hotaru was quiet, not sure if she wanted to expose herself, "I do so many stupid things. I screw up so many times, I would be lost if he didn't tell me when."

"But does he have to hurt you in the process?" Trowa whispered. Suddenly he heard footsteps coming down the hall and he pressed even closer to Hotaru, bent his head down and pressed his lips to her open mouth. In any case it would seem that Trowa was taking advantage of Hotaru's broken state, that was how Trowa looked at it. But when he felt Hotaru respond, slipping her hands around his waist and dipping her tongue into his mouth Trowa couldn't beeo himself from enjoying it.

"Sorry," Trowa said huskily when the man had passed.

Hotaru looked at him with questioning eyes and Trowa could tell that she was trying to form a question. He waited patiently until she forced out, "Was that real?"

"Yes, everything about it," Trowa answered and smiled at the light that started to return to her face. "And I'm going to protect you. Your father can control you all he wants but as long as I'm here he will never hurt you."

Hotaru didn't say anything and Trowa wasn't sure that she agreed with his declaration. When he backed up and began to walk towards the library to wait for second period, Hotaru walked with him. When he glanced down at her, with her small arm circling his waist and her weight leaning into his body, the pilot began to wonder if Heero really knew what love felt like, and if so, why did he say is was shit?

+++

****

Author's Note-Sorry this one is shorter and I don't think it's as good. Just incase you're wondering, no they aren't deeply in love and planning to get married or anything, just happy. I'm never that predictable, I hope.


	3. The Green Eyed Knight

****

Voices:The Green Eyed Knight

****

Author's Note:By the time I get this up I bet it'll be time for homecoming, I hope you all have fun. Hotaru takes on a dramatic character change, sorry if it's unrealistic 'cause you know how I hate when that happens. Thanks for the reviews. 

****

Disclaimers: I do not own Hotaru, she belongs to Clover and that lady. I don't own Trowa or any of the other Gundam characters I may mention, they belong to Sunrise [The best anime company in the world.]

Thoughts-//yadda yadda yadda//

Change in person-+++

Hotaru's bashing to herself in voice of father- 'yadda yadda yadda'

+++

Trowa looked down at his laptop screen a few minuets, skimming through the files that he had retireved from Rider Tomoe's home computer. Most of them were bank statements but eventually the pilot hoped to find something important.

"Can you lift me any higher?" Hotaru's voice penetrated his mind and Trowa was forced to watch the male ballerina, Shawn, lift _his_ girlfriend by the stomach.

"Yeah," Shawn nodded and raised the girl into the air about a centimeter. "How's that?"

"Perfect," Hotaru decided, "Let's keep going." Trowa returned to his hacking, listening with one ear for a scream just incase Shawn dropped Hotaru.

//She's acting like nothing happened last night,// Trowa observed once again. School had been let out early for report card writing, Hotaru had gone straight to the studio with the rest of her company and so far she hadn't even shown a glimmer of sadness. The girl had also done a great job of lying to her fellow dancers about the bruises, claiming she fell down the stairs.

"It's like she's had practice," Trowa muttered. He bit his tongue in concentration. Thinking that Hotaru had been suffering this sort of treatment for several years made him want to put Rider in jail even more.

"You aren't bored are you, Trowa?" Hotaru asked when Shawn had set her down.

"No," Trowa answered absently. He had just found a file called weedwacker and things with strange names tended to have interesting information. "How are you?" Trowa knew that the question sounded normal enough but with the concerned look in his eye he was hoping that Hotaru would understand what he really meant.

"Fine," she answered happily then added, "Really, it happens everytime he visits. I've gotten use to it."

"But you shouldn't _get use to it_, Hotaru. You should call the police," Trowa argued in a low voice.

Hotaru sighed and kneeled down closer to Trowa's face. "Why don't you understand? I deserved the punishment my father gave me and as soon as I prove to him I love him it'll all be over."

Trowa tried to object but was silent. It was a hopeless situation, Hotaru was a slave to her father's standards and there was nothing he could do to change her mind. Hotaru caught the glimmer of worry in Trowa's emerald eyes and grabbed his hand. "I promise, it'll all be over soon."

Trowa let the usual mask fall over his face, hiding his concern and gave Hotaru a half hearted smile, "You have a dance to finish," he said, nodding towards the group of dancers that were watching them. Hotaru looked behind her and blushed furiously.

"Yue is probably somewhere in the building if you need company," Hotaru adviced and gave him a quick reassuring kiss on the cheek beforing she began yelling at the hord of people about keeping concentration.

Trowa chuckled and closed his laptop. //I need to find a more private place to look at this stuff,// he decided. //If I do find something I'll have to call Heero also.// After walking down the hallway for a comple of minuets Trowa came upon an empty office room with the door open.

"This'll do," he observed, walked in then closed and locked the door. "Weed wacker," he read, double clicking on the icon. Sure enough there was the banking number for seven accounts across the country with large sums of money in them. Trowa added them all up and wasn't surprised that the total amount was a few dollars under what had been stolen from the Sanq Treasury. 

"He must have stopped to buy a hamburger," Duo joked when Trowa called the safe ouse and found that the braided baka was the only one home. "So you're ready to come home?"

Trowa paused and realized that the time had come when he would have to use Hotaru to get to Rider. 

"You have the Heero syndrome don't you!" Duo accused loudly over the phone when Trowa didn't answer. "I knew it would happen, I knew that you had emotions like the rest of us. Even Heero has a girlfriend, you would have to fall for someone eventually," Duo babbled on and Trowa wished that he could glare at the baka to shut him up.

"Duo," Trowa interupted in a quiet voice. 

"You realize what this means," Duo continued, "you and me are going to have to plan something so you can stay until you figure out how to fix this Hotaru chick."

"No, I knew this was coming," Trowa said through gritted teeth, "I have to carry through the mission as usual."

"Man that's harsh," Duo sighed. "Well send me the file and I'll tell Heero when he gets home. Cya Friday?"

"Yes, until then," Trowa bayed good bye and disconnected the line. 

+++

Hotaru waved at the last dancer to leave before sitting on the bench to remove her ballet shoes. The sight of her peeling and bloddy feet didn't surprise her a bit but attracted some attention from Trowa who had just walked in.

"That looks worst than normal," he muttered and sat down next to her.

She smiled at his concern. "It always gets bad closer to preformances."

Trowa nodded and was quiet. Hotaru looked over at him and sensed that he wanted to tell her something but it was only a flicker of emotion before he put on his usual mask. "We have an hour before you have to come back, should we go out to dinner?" he inquired.

//Changing the subject are we,// Hotaru observed and tucked it away as something to ask him about later. "I can't, my mom wants me to come home and have dinner with her and Father."

"Oh," Trowa said and Hotaru heard the anger in his voice. She looked down at the floor, trying to think of something that could reassure him of her safety and also noticed his white knuckles of his clenched hands.

"Do you want to come with me, I'm sure my parents would like to meet you," Hotaru invited and sighed inwardly as Trowa's features softened.

He didn't answered quickly but then gave a reluctent yes. "Good," Hotaru said. "I have to go change, meet me in the parking lot?"

"Okay," Trowa agreed. He kissed her gently, careful not to touch her bruises with his hands then walked out of the room. 

Hotaru held her fingers to her lips and sat for a moment, basking in happiness. 

'He's lying to you girl, he's using you to get to someone,' her father voice warned Hotaru and the girl jerked at the return of the voice. //I forget it during ballet, but it's never really gone is it?//

"Except when I'm with Trowa," she added to her own thoughts. Remembering the waiting boy she walked happily to the changing room, actually looking forward to dinner. 

+++

Trowa twirled a pencil in his hand, waiting for Hotaru to come out of the building. "I have to tell her at some point, how else can she not get hurt."

//She's going to get burned either way, but if I tell her now she may take it easier than if I just surprise her with it by storming into her house and arresting the one she loves the most in the world,// He guessed.

"It sucks being the bad guy," the green eyed boy decided when he saw Hotaru walking briskly out of the building. The sight of her still made him feel warm, almost human instead of the solider/assasin that he was.

"I just realized something," Hotaru mentioned when they were driving to her house. "You can't come to dinner wearing that."

"What?" Trowa echoed. He looked quickly down at himself and saw that he was only wearing a baggy t-shirt and cargo pants. "Oh."

"We can stop by your apartment and you can change," she decided and Trowa noticed a slight edginess in her voice.

"Okay," he concured and turned into his parking lot. "I'll be back in a few minuets." 

+++

Hotaru tapped her fingers on the dash board nervously. What is her father was jealous of Trowa, what if he didn't like Trowa? She didn't want to upset him, but Trowa was...important.

"He will like Trowa. The boy is perfect, how could anyone not like him?" she muttered to herself quickly her voice rising with each word. "But what is he doesn't? I need Trowa here just incase Father hurts me again."

'He's an idiot girl, I would never accept a street rat like him,' her "father" informed her. 'You should dump him now, while there's still time.'

"No, I need him just as much as I need Father," Hotaru reminded herself. 

"Need who?" Trowa inquired, once again appearing without warning.

"No one," Hotaru said quickly and felt her face grow warm. 

Trowa didn't inquired anymore and stood up straight, "Is this okay?"

Hotaru poked her head out of the car window and examined her boyfriend. She nodded at his choice of grey dress pants, a dark green polo shirt identical to the color of his eyes and a black leather jacket.

"That's perfect," she complimented. "Hurry up and get into the car, I still have to change when we get to my house."

"Right," Trowa remembering and fit himself back into the Saturn without creasing the outfit too much. "Is there anything I should know before speaking to your parents?"

Hotaru raced over the information she had gathered about her father over the years and began the list. "Never talk back to him. If he offends you just nod and agree. Don't ask about his job. Don't spill anything."

Hotaru racked her mind to recall anything else when she felt Trowa's hand squeeze her own. "Be perfect," he said simply.

The girl sighed in agitation and slouched against the car seat, "Basically."

+++

Trowa sat stifly in the supposidly comfortable white couch that was in Hotaru's living room. She had already introduced him to her mother, Cathy, who Trowa thought seemed too nice to be housing a criminal. That would work on her behalf in the court case. Fortunately the pilot hadn't had the chance of meeting with Rider Tomoe, who was still in his home town office.

//What if he recognizes me,// Trowa wondered. He knew his face along with his four other friends were plastered everywhere in the con man and murder world, it wouldn't be a surprise if Rider tried to excuse himself from the table and run.

At the thought of the man running Trowa's hand went automatcially to the hand gun that was hidden inside his coat pocket. He would have no choice but to stop Rider if he did try to escape. //I don't even want to think of how the conversation with Hotaru will go after that,// the boy shuddered. The more unaware Rider was of who Trowa was, the better. //At least I have the tracer,// Trowa reminded himself and nochantly looked down at the ring with a practically invisible needle attachted to the band. When Trowa shook hands with Rider the needle should put chemicals into his skin that was connected to the tracer in Heavy Arms and Trowa's laptop.

"Dinner is ready, sir," one of the maids of the house informaed Trowa and waited to lead him to the dining room.

"Thankyou," he said quietly before the lady left and she smiled kindly at him. //Another witness at the trial for abuse,// he noted to himself.

"Come sit, dear," Hotar's mother bekoned to Trowa. The boy grinned when he saw Hotaru glare at her mom and took his seat next to his girlfriend.

"Thankyou for having me, Mrs.Tomoe. Will Mr.Tomoe be joining us?" Trowa inquired carefully.

"If we're lucky, no," Mrs.Tomoe muttered. Trowa gave a slight chuckle and felt Hotaru side kick him in the leg under the table. "You'll have to forgive Hotaru, she has a certain strange love for her father," Mrs.Tomoe mentioned when she saw Trowa give Hotaru a questioning look.

"Have you started dinner without me?" Rider inquired and Trowa's hair pricked up on his neck. "And we have a guest."

"Yes Rider, remembering Hotaru has a dance recital tonight. That's why you came here," Cathy said with a guarded tone.

"Oh right," Rider said abstently, "And who is this young man?"

Trowa calmed himself, putting on his usual false face, and stood up, "I'm a friend of Hotaru's, Trowa Barton." He grasped Rider's hand and wasn't surprised when Rider pulled it back and rubbed the his palm.

"Do you dance also?" Rider inquired, taking his seat at the head of the table.

"No, he goes to the same school as me, Father," Hotaru explained.

Rider stared at Trowa for a moment and the pilot worked hard on keeping his breath normal. "Are you looking for something, Mr.Tomoe?"

The man shook his head and Trowa breathed an inner sigh of reliefe. //He doesn't remember me.// "No." Rider was quiet for a moment as another maid served the salad. "Are you eating Hotaru?"

Hotaru's fork paused and Trowa's protection hormones jumped up in attention. "Do you think it would be a bad desicion, Father?"

"Well at the shape you are in now, if you eat that you may not fit into your costume," Rider warned her and Hotaru set the fork down. Trowa felt his fingers tighten around the handle of his own fork until the metal began to hurt his hand.

"Rider," Cathy spoke sharply then turned to Hotaru. "Honey, eat the salad. It's better that you don't fit into your costume then you fall on the stage from lack of energy."

"No, I'm not hungry," Hotaru lied. Trowa gave her a side long glance but she hung her head down and wouldn't meet his eyes.

There was silence for a few moments before a small ringing sound was heard down the hall. The maid that had smiled at Trowa walked into the dining room and announced, "Mr.Barton, your cell phone is ringing."

Trowa cursed for forgetting to turn it off but then realized it had to be one of the other pilots. //Shit. I had hoped to have a little more time.// "May I excuse myself," he said quickly and grabbed the phone from the maid before walking down the hallway out of hearing range.

"Hello?" he inquired and wasn't surprised to be greeted by Heero's dulling yet intimidating voice.

"Duo told me," Heero stated clearly, "Are you finishing it up?"

"I'm at his house and when the moment presents its self I'm going to tell Hotaru, she might know where he keeps the money or anything else that could convict him," Trowa explained.

"Do you really expect her to help?" Heero contridicted, "According to the bio she seems pretty dedicated to her father."

Trowa blew air through his teeth in a small hiss, "Probably not but she has a right to know. I'll tell her mother too, she may know something."

"Get it done soon, there are more assignments waiting for you," Heero warned and the line went dead.

Trowa leaned against the wall for a moment to gather his wits. Back in the dining room he could hear Rider rambling off comments on Hotaru's dancing, her body, her grades, her dedication.

"That boy," Rider muttered loud enough for Trowa to just barely make out the words, "Do you really think that someone like him would pick you out of all the girl in the school to call his own? I think he's using you."

Trowa's blood boiled until he remembered that Rider was right. If he hadn't needed Hotaru to reach Rider he never would have given her a second glance. //And now I'm going to tell her that, only proving that her father is always right.//

"Damnit," he muttered and walked back into the room. "Sorry, my friend needed something," he apologized and sat down next to Hotaru once more. 

"So Trowa, how did you two meet?" Rider inquired slyly.

"We both came to school early and she.." Trowa paused. If he said that Hotaru fell on him that would give Rider another way to insult her. "She helped me when I dropped my books."

Hotaru looked at him with wide purple eyes of thanks and Trowa smiled back but felt a pang of pity. //Don't the sweetest ones alway get burned.//

"Are you done with your salad, Trowa?" Cathy inquired, gesturing to the servant who was waiting to take his plate.

"Yes, thankyou," Trowa assented and handed his plate to the waiting woman.

"Could we cut dinner short tonight," Hotaru spoke up timidly. "I'm suppose to be at the dance studio 15 minuets early for anything that may go wrong at the last minuet."

"And something always does when you're put in charge," Rider commented and Trowa stopped himself from pulling out his gun and shooting the man in the forehead right then.

"Come on Hotaru, I'll dirve you," Trowa suggested and stood up, "Thankyou for the food Mr. Mrs. Tomoe." He nodded his thanks to both of them and guided Hotaru out of her chair. "I'll get you bag," he said and gave her a small push towards the door that would lead outside.

"Uh hmm," Hotaru breathed and walked absently to the door.

Trowa took the stairs two at a time up to Hotaru's room and hastily grabbed her bag before creeping steadily into Rider's room. Sitting coviently on the desk was a laptop with a pile of papers next to it.

"This is too easy," Trowa muttered and slipped the boon inside the bag with Hotaru's clothes. //I'll have to remember to get them out before she can see them.//

"It was nice to meet yo, Trowa," Cathy said when he came down the stairs and was heading out the door.

"You too."

+++

Hotaru waited in the car and began going over all the productions that she had lead. //He's right, something always goes wrong at the last time when I'm in charge,// she realized and felt wetness rim her eyelids.

She heard one of the back doors open and saw Trowa throw her bag in the car. "You know he's wrong right?" Trowa reminded her.

"No he's telling the truth," Hotaru whisperded. 

She saw Trowa shake his head and push the key into the ignition. "Every dance, gynamstic meet, game, anything has something go wrong. That's why people continue to put them on, to see if they can do it without a flaw."

"I should already be there, I should have control over everything," Hotaru argued harshly.

'You don't have enough control over yourself to rule other people,' the voice informed her and Hotaru gave a small yelp.

Trowa looked over at her with concern but she didn't say anything. "You need to stop letting him control what you think of yourself. It's just like sucumbing to peer pressure."

"Except that he's my father, not some ditzzy, rich cheerleader," Hotaru contridicted.

"Do you ever think maybe he's using you to make himself feel mopre important?" Trowa inquired softly.

Hotaru looked over at him quizzically. "What? No of course not. Why does everyone think someone is using me?"

Trowa's heart renched. //Because everyone is, even me.// "I heard him tell you that he thought I was too good for you."

"I know, I saw you," Hotaru said. "He said you were _using_ me to get to something. That I was too normal for you to concern yourself with me."

Trowa took a deep breath and could feel the moment of anger growing closer. "That's not true either, you're one of the most impressive people I know," he said, "but he was right, I do need you to get to someone."

Hotaru took in a quick bit of air, making a whistling sound. "What did you say?" Trowa began to repeat it but she made him stop. "To who? Yue?"

"No," Trowa paused once more, "To your father."

"You want my father? Why!" Hotaru almost screamed. Did Trowa also have a strange pull to that man who onl;y gave out insults but kepts her close to him. As far as being perfect Hotaru could never compete with Trowa. 

"I work for the Preventers and your father stole several million dollars from the Treasury of the United Earth Sphere Bank. From Releana Peacecraft herself."

"You're lying!" Hotaru objected loudly. "My father would never do something like that." Her hands were shaking with not anger but fear. Fear that what Trowa was saying was the truth, that she would be forced to turn in her father, that Trowa really had been using her.

"Hotaru, why would I make something like this up?" Trowa asked with sencerity. Hotaru looked over at the boy who was keeping his amazing eyes glued to the road. //He has on his mask again.// Hotaru was good enough at reading people to know that when people were wearing their facades it usually meant they were trying to contain some strong emotion.

//Maybe he really does like me. Maybe he came to arrest my father and fell for me by accident like in those corny stories on the internet,// she imagined.

'Girl, look at yourself. You aren't one of those dazzling story characters, you're Hotaru Tomoe, a short scrawny half baked ballet dancer,' the voice pounded in her mind and Hotaru clutched her head.

"Hotaru?" Trowa asked urgently. They had reached the parking lot of the studio and Hotaru felt him lay a warmuing hand on her back.

"Get away from me. My father was right, you're using me," Hotaru screamed and pushed herself out of the car.

"Hotaru, he's a wanted criminal, I need to know if you have any part in it," Trowa asked with a solid voice that make Hotaru sick.

"No!" Hotaru answered. "Even he's using me. The one who made me work so hard for his approval."

Trowa started to speak but Hotaru stopped him once more. She open the door to the car and took out her stuff, "Leave. If I see anything I'll call you but don't talk to me ever again," se said in a calmer but wounded voice. "I don't want to see you in that building. I don't want to see you ever again."

The silent Preventer nodded in understandment. "Hotaru," he began but was muted by the glare of distrust and hate that Hotaru gave him.

"Go. Away," she demanded and began walking inside. Trowa shook his head and pulled out of the parking area. 

"She's stronger than I expected," Trowa muttered. He had expected her to break down crying, not become feirce and finally turn against her father. The car phone rung and Trowa pressed the button, "Hello?"

"Trowa?" Heero's voice emmited from the phone and Trowa looked upon it with scorn. Only the perfect soilder was allowed to have love, only his life was allowed to be a little normal.

"What?" he answered harshly.

"I guess you did it," Heero observed.

"Yeah, I'm going back to the car dealer ship to get a new car. I'm going back to the studio because Hotaru had Rider's laptop and some papers in her bag. I'll also probably tell Mrs.Tomoe what is going on. I should be home by tonight."

"I could get Duo to take your next job if you need a break," Heero offered and Trowa sensed that it was one of those rare moments between them when they both felt safe enough to act like normal male teenagers.

"Yeah, I'll need that. Who will I be home with?"

"Me and Wufei," Heero supplied.

"Good, quiet," Trowa sighed. "I'll cya when I get home." 

He was about to hang up when Heero added one more thing, "Trowa, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who signed up for this damn job," Trowa excused the other pilot and hung up.

+++

Hotaru shifted through her bag and cursed harshly when she saw a folder of papers and her father's laptop tossed in there along with the mess. "Fuck it," she said, feeling too concentrated on the preformance that was fast approaching to take the time to destroy the stuff, making Trowa's job a little harder.

"Hotaru, you're parents are here," Rini announced and was confused when Hotaru's expression did not matched her own happy one.

"Oh, tell them I'll be out as soon as I'm finished changing," Hotaru explained and Rini went scampering away.

'You're father will be angry,' the voice, not as strong anymore, warned her.

"Who cares anymore," Hotaru muttered. "He wouldn't hurt me physically in public and nothing he says can effect me anymore."

//Trowa would be proud,// her own thoughts leaked through the wall she had began to build around herself. "You mean the guy who kissed me only to get to my scumb bag father."

"How do you feel honey?" her mother inquired wehn Hotaru walked out of the changing room. Hotaru forced a smile on to her face and hugged one of the few people who hadn't betrayed her.

"Okay," Hotar said and then looked at her father with daggers in her stare, "Nothings gone wrong yet."

For a moment the man faultered and then gained his composure. "All in good time."

Mrs.Tomoe glanced back and forth between the interaction that had jst taking place between her daughter and husband. //Trowa had told me that he told Hotaru about her father, but I didn't expect her to change attitudes so much,// the lady thought, remembering her encounter that she had had with the dashing boy in the parking lot a few minuets hense.

"Come Cathy, we should get seats before all the good ones are taking," rider bekoned sourly.

"Right," Cathy agreed and gave Hotaru a quick hug, "Good luck honey."

"Thanks Mom," Hotaru said and shooed them to the audotorium.

+++

Trowa glided in with a rush of people and managed to make it near the door to the dressing room. Inside he could hear giggling and mused on the ways he could enter. It would only a take a few minuets to grabbed the right bag and remove the computer and folder. "So I bust in," he decided and burst into the room. 

Girls scattered, giving yells of objection while Trowa scanned the room for the familiar light purple carrier without eyeing any of the half naked girls and keeping his face hidden. "There," he made his way over to the bench and the girls moved away like he was a virus. 

"Hey, what'g going on in here?" Hotaru's voice interrupted Trowa's adventure.

"There's this boy darting around," one of the girls explained and Trowa could guess that she had pointed him out.

"TROWA!" Hotaru reprimanded, "I told you not to come."

Trowa paid no attention and pulled out what he needed from Hotaur's bag. He began to run from the room when he felt a fist grab at his jacket. He slipped out of it easily and scampered away. 

"Trowa," Hotaru objected and the pilot almost hoped that she would run after him but was disappointed when no one tried to stop him again.

"And that is the end," he bowed slightly to the door. 

+++

Hotaru clutched the leather jacket, holding it close to her and concentrating on keeping her same snappy personality that she had so recently obtained. //He didn't come back to see you, he came to get more information.//

"Hotaru who was that guy?" Rini inquired.

Hotaru shook her head, "No one, just a guy I met," she said dismissily. "Everyone hurry up and get changed, we have a show to put on."

Girls were slient in changing, keeping a careful eye on the door while Hotaru went on stage and peered at the audience from behind the curtain. She saw her parents in the third row, waiting patiently and she continued to glance over the rows and rows of people.

//Who else am I looking for?// she asked herself and already knew the answer. "He isn't going to be here, I didn't mean anything but money to him." She inhaled the smell of the coat once more before slipping it around her shoulders.

+++

High in the rafters a tall and lanky figure sat comfortably, watching for the opening of the curtains and the apperance of Hotaru Tomoe. This would be the last time he would see her and Yue had said that he might have affected the way she danced.

"Should get someting out of this hell of a mission," he spat harshly. He was soothed as classical music that he knew weel but couldn't name filled the room. The busiling parents stopped chit chatting and also calmed. A small girl that looked more like a figurine than a person appeared on the stage.

She was accompanied by a older man who began to artfully beat her to the ground. Hotaru cowarded, shifted around and magically smeared purple on to her face. Suddenly the music changed and a younger boy who Trowa identified as Shawn came onto the stage and pulled back the man. 

Trowa suddenly remembered a little random comment Hotaru had made when he had asked her what the subject of the dance was. "My fairy tale," she had said and he hadn't gotten it then but now it made sense.

He listened carefully to the music and almost fell off of his seat when he remembered the title of the song being 'Green Eyed Knight'. //It's about me,// he staed obviously and climbed down quickly off the fixture. 

If he stayed any longer he wouldn't be able to leave. He wouldn't be able to leave her to take care of Rider for the week or two that it would take for the police to arrest him. He sprinted outside and leaned against the car. Everything he had brought was already shoved into the back of his car, all he had to do was drive away.

And he did.

****

A/N-Wait, wait! This isn't the last chapter. I'm not done yet. There's more, I swear. Thanks for reading, please review and stay tune for the next chapter.


	4. The End

****

Voices : The End

*Extra Important Note: This is dedicated to Tina [real name] and someday if ff.net does die I hope we'll be able to start our own website. ;)*

Author's Note: I should be doing my biology homework or studying for the test that it coming up. Or I could be catching up on my math project that is due in a week. I could even be cleaning my room. But no, I am here typing the 4th chapter of Voices, be thankful. Or at least review.

****

Disclaimers : Despite my vast wealth of 50 cents I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. I got beaten out by some dork on E-Bay. :grumble grumble:

****

Key

Thoughts-//yadda yadda yadda//

Change in person-+++

Hotaru's bashing to herself in voice of father- 'yadda yadda yadda'

+++

Hotaru sat cross legged on her bed staring at the jacket that she had hung carefully on the back of her chair. //Everyone has used me.// She hadn't told Trowa but she could now pin point when her father's kind moods had only been a ploy on her emotions to get her to do something. 

She thought back on all the simple things he had asked her to do when he visited like adding up some numbers which he claimed was for his taxes or way to send someone a virus without them being able to trace it back to the sender. At the time they had all seemed like little tests to Hotaru and she only wanted to prove herself capable. There was also the game they had played together a few months ago...

Hotaru sucked in a breath, causing herself to cough when she realized she had planned the attack of the Treasury of the Sanq Kingdom. Her father had approached her as usual, saying that they never taught her anything important in school and that she would never have enough common sense to survive in the _real world_. She had wanted to prove that she would survive, that she would make him proud.

"I bet I could," was all she had said before he had laid out papers and told her to figure out the best way to steal something from a high-tech bank and get away scotch free. Hotaru had spent many nights on it and finally came up with a plan.

"Run home," she said out loud, remembering step 10 of the plan. "Run home and pretend that it never happened." Speaking brought Hotaru back into her body and her eyes fell on Trowa's coat once more. "You used me too though. My father isn't the only bad guy in this story."

'Or maybe he didn't think you were good enough for him to spend the time to spare you the pain,' her "father" suggested.

"Maybe so," Hotaru whispered sadly. She touched her mouth and the warmness of Trowa's lips seemed to singe it. "He didn't have to kiss me though. I was already attached to him, he didn't have to play with me like that."

She glared at the jacket and stalked over to it. She wanted to rip it up, burn it or something. Anything to get rid of the pain of the fact that she had lost _him_. //But I can't. Or I don't want to.// The confusion of her heart only brought a dull pain and she leaned on the chair, tears spreading across her cheeks.

++Time has passed++

Trowa stared at the checker board with detachment. He finally moved one of his black pieces and wasn't surprised when Wufei made four jumps, finally ending the embarrassing game. 

"That's the third game you've lost, Barton," Wufei commented, sweeping the checkers back into the box then folding the board neatly on top.

"I know," Trowa growled, sounding tired as usual. He saw in the reflection of the television that Heero was giving him a concerned look, or at least as close to a concerned look as Heero could get.

Trowa could feel the uncomfortable silence and stood up. "I'm going to take a nap or something," he announced. The two other gundam pilots nodded and Trowa walked out but not before catching Wufei commenting that it was his eighth nap. 

//Thanks for counting,// he thought sardonically as he entered his plain room which lacked the color coordination of Hotaru's. At the thought of the girl Trowa gave a low groan and fell onto his bed in a heap. It had been a week and the strange girl still plagued or blessed his mind, Trowa was never sure which. The image of her crying, the feeling of her tongue in his mouth and...everything.

//Did I really fall in love with her or am I infatuated with the new feeling of actually having someone to care about, to protect,// he wondered. //Isn't that what Heero feels. When Releana comes for dinner I never see them share any secret glances or public displays of affection. It's only Heero standing close to her, as if at any moment she could be taking away from him.//

He flipped himself up onto his back and began a staring contest with the boring ceiling paint. "With Hotaru there were secret meetings in-between classes and shy glances, was that love or am I trapped just like Heero?" he spoke to the ceiling which, of course, didn't answer.

"And if I loved her than I wouldn't have left her, no matter what she had said. Not with her father who will eventually figure out who I am and take it out on her...." His streaming of sentences and self therapy broke off until he came to a conclusion. "And if she dies by the hands of her father, it will be my fault for leaving her. If I loved her I wouldn't have left her."

"I thought you said you were taking a nap?" Heero wondered accusingly, looking at Trowa who was draped over his bed.

"Sorry," Trowa muttered and swung himself into a more conversational position. "I was coming to terms with my feelings," he confessed mockingly.

"I do that," Heero admitted and sat down next to Trowa.

"You don't have feelings," Trowa teased.

Heero looked around the room, "I wish that were true." They were both silent and Trowa was pretty sure Heero had begun to think of his relationship with Releana.

"Do you love her?" Trowa inquired.

"Probably not," Heero answered truthfully, "but I think she's the only thing I have left from the war and I know I loved the war."

"Without her you're nothing," Trowa whispered.

"I'm nothing but a freakishly quiet 17 year old boy with no home or family. With her...in her eyes....I'm some great hero that managed to save the world when everything was against me," Heero said with distance as if he had just thought of it.

"Hmmm," Trowa answered.

"Hnnnn," Heero answered back and they sat there staring at the wall, thinking about life. (1)

+++

Hotaru walked into her house with a well worn look of bitterness and self pity. For the first few days after Trowa had left she had kept her hope alive by watching all the corny chick flicks she could and focusing on the fact that whenever the guy ran off he always came back. 

Now it had been a week. There was no chance that Trowa would come back unless it was to arrest her and her father. All Hotaru had now was a nice leather jacket that she dare not wash because the smell was the only thing that could comfort her at night when she could hear her father beating her mother. Despite the fact that Hotaru wasn't as attached to her father as she had been, her mother and she were still trapped. Her father would spend an hour physically and mentally abusing each of them each night, making sure that they knew if they went to the police once he got out he would find a way to kill them.

"So now we hide in the corner like little children, lying about our bruises and scars to our friends, avoiding home until the last moment," she muttered to herself. She carried her bags up the stairs and into her room, closing the door carefully. Sometimes her father would forget that she existed and never come but it was not often enough.

The teenager threw off her jacket, revealing her molted back and shoulders. She slumped into her computer chair and let her mind wander to how things would be different if Trowa were here. //NO!// she objected in her mind. //If he had any real feelings for me he would have come back. He wouldn't have left me in this pit of _death_.//

"HOTARU!" her father bellowed, causing Hotaru to cringe. She had been hoping it would be a little longer before it was her turn. "Where are you..you little bitch, where did you go?"  


//I'm always in my room idiot,// she thought spitefully and opened the door. She had picked up the fact that the meeker and more weak she acted, the shorter it would be so she never showed the fact that she no longer really feared him.

"I'm here Daddy," Hotaru called out, making her voice a little squeakier like a catholic school girl. She saw the lanky man turn the corner and gave a slight start when she saw he was carrying a bat.

"You remember that man you bought home a week ago, Hotaru, baby," Rider's voice slurred and he ran his finger along the edge of her face. 

"Yes," Hotaru answered unsteadily. //If he's really found out who Trowa was....//

"Did you know that he was an undercover assassin who was sent to arrest your dear old dad?"

"No," Hotaru answered then added in her mind, //Not at first anyway.//

"LIAR!!" Rider screamed and launched his body into Hotaru's, throwing her halfway across the room so she hit the corner of her bed. She gave a yelp of actually pain and scampered backwards, clutching her stinging shoulder blade. "HE'S GOING TO SEND ME TO JAIL, HOTARU! JAIL FOR LIFE!"

"I didn't know, I didn't know," Hotaru cried, using the tears of her pain to support her lie.

"YOU KNEW AND YOU USED HIM JUST TO GET RID OF ME!" Rider said, pointing a finger at her accusingly. He bounding to her in two paces and picked her up by the back of her neck, then quickly changed his position and slammed the girl into the wall.

"I love you Daddy, I love you too much to do that to you," Hotaru sobbed but in her mind was objecting, //I don't use people, I would never use Trowa.//

A sick smile slid across Hotaru's father's face and he dropped her to the ground. "Well it doesn't matter, the damage has been done and I'm sure that the police will be here soon enough."

Hotaru shuddered. She had never heard her father be calm while in one of his out raged moods, it just made him all the more dangerous. "Wha....what...." she couldn't complete a sentence and just stared up at the man.

"It won't matter if they come though, no one is going to be alive for them to find and arrest," he announced, pulling out a silver handgun. "But no one will think of me. I have a diary here of a crazy teenage girl who couldn't stand her parents so she decided to kill them."

Hotaru began to shake her head in denial, "Mommy, where's Mommy?" she wondered with a screeching voice.

"Oh don't worry, I didn't shoot her, I just hit over the head with a frying pan a few times," her father said, "but I'm pretty sure the job is done." Hotaru gave a ear piercing scream and Rider crouched down and slapped her across the face into silence. "Wouldn't want the neighbors to wonder," he murmured and pressed the barrel of the gun to her head.

Hotaru's eyes widened and she waited for the bullet to penetrate her skull. Then she focused her sight and saw her father looking her over, like he was having second thoughts. That was all the time she needed. All at the same time she ducked, clawed her father's face and pushed out her legged, using her well developed pointed toe to stab him in the groin.

The gun fired and left a neat and tidy hole in Hotaru's wall. The girl stared at it for a second then got up and ran to her computer, looking for scissors or something heavy she could use to knock the homicidal man out with until the police came. 

"Should have don't that you rat bitch," Rider groaned and swung the gun in her direction. The gun sounded and the bullet flew, hitting Hotaru in the calf. She screaming in pain and stumbled back, crashing into the computer chair where Trowa's coat had been placed every night. 

There was a clunck and Hotaru looked at the ground in disbelief. Sitting the middle of her carpet that was already stained with her blood was Trowa's own gun. Rider stared at it and began to move to get it before Hotaru but the girl was closer and reached it first. 

"Hotaru, you don't know how to handle one of those," her father objected. "Put it down."

Hotaru stood up, unsteady on her leg that was gushing with blood. "Goodbye Father, I loved you once," she said quietly and pressed the trigger. In a split second after the gun gave off a bang that made Hotaru stumble to the ground, Rider Tomoe was lying on the ground with a hole in his heart.

+++

Trowa was staring at the TV dinner in the microwave when the phone rang and Wufei picked it up nochantly. "Who are you?" he inquired with the same politeness that he gave everyone else. There was a pause when the other person answered. Trowa saw Wufei look up at him and knew the call was probably for him. 

"Who is it?" Trowa asked quietly.

"Police from the town with the girl," Wufei said, covering the mouth part of the receiver.

"Tell 'em I'm busy," Trowa said, gesturing to the microwave.

Wufei nodded and told the policeman a more elaborate lie. "Really?" Wufei questioned in authentic surprise which made Trowa look at him once more. "He'll will be down there as soon as possible," Wufei said and hung up the phone.

"What is it now?" Trowa inquired. He had finally begun to let go of Hotaru, he didn't want to go back.

"The police said that the neighbors of that girl from the Rider mission just heard gunshots coming from the house," Wufei informed his friend.

Once Trowa heard gunshot he bolted out the door. He jumped into the Saturn which he had yet to return and revved the engine then cursed for not getting something faster as he speeded down the back road that would lead him to the highway.

//Gunshotgunshotgunshotgunshotgunshotgunshotgunshotgunshot,// was all he could think. Rider must have found out who Trowa was and finally gotten rid of Hotaru and her mom, his only liability.

"And it's all my fault. It's all my fault for leaving her in that danger," Trowa reprimanded himself and felt something grab his heart. He wanted to cry, felt like he should be bawling like a baby but the tears wouldn't come and he hated himself even more.

+++

"We need to ask you some questions, dear," a kind voiced police woman requested of a drenched and half fainting teenage girl. 

"Could it wait?" the girl inquired quietly, pulling the thin fleece blanket around her tighter to shut out the cold while the paramedic rapped a bandage tightly around her leg which had only been clipped by the bullet. 

The officer sighed and nodded, "Yes of course." She walked away and Hotaru continued to stare in shock at the muddy, grassy, ground. 

She had killed her father. He was dead and lifeless and cold, never to speak or torment her again. Her mother was dead, beaten to an unidentifiable creature by a iron frying pan. Hotaru was alone. She was an orphan.

Tears rimmed her eyes but she felt like this sadness was too great for some petty show of water works. Or maybe she didn't want her father to see her cry, to see that he had been right about how weak she was. Nevermind the fact that her father was gone, that she had seen the police drag out his body bag an hour or so ago. 

"Would someone get control of that boy!" the had officer ordered. 

"He's beaten up all the people we send at him sir," a younger deputy explained.

"Threaten him with a gun you idiot."

"He's Trowa Barton sir, we can't without some trouble from the whole gundam squad," the deputy said.

"Well what the Hell is he looking for?" the officer demanded.

//Probably my father,// Hotaru thought sourly. //Won't he be disappointed that I already finished up his job.//

"The girl, Hotaru Tome."

For a moment Hotaru's skin warmed at the thought that Trowa had come back because he was concerned but then her realism got the hold of her. //He came to yell at me for killing the only person who knows where the money is. Except that I know where Father put the money, after all I planned the whole thing.//

"She's over here Mr.Barton," some policeman said and Hotaru's muscles tightened as she sensed her ex-boyfriend/protector approach her.

"Hotaru," he said softly and put his hand on her shoulder.

She ducked from his touch and turned to face him with a fierce glare. "I finished your job. I killed him."

"Did he hurt you much?" Trowa inquired as if he hadn't even heard Hotaru's announcement. He tried to touch the deep scratch that ran down her cheek but she stood up and again stepped back much to the protest of her ingury.

"I-KILLED-MY-FATHER! I killed him because you made me believe he was bad. He's dead and it's all your fault. I'm an orphan and it's all your fault. If you hadn't come to my house then he wouldn't have known you were hear and he wouldn't have beaten my mother and he wouldn't be dead. We would still be happy or at least I would still be happy!" Hotaru cried and punched at Trowa's chest senselessly. 

He never moved and when Hotaru stopped he held her wrists and looked down at her. "Hotaru I'm sorry. I know it's my fault that your parents are dead, but I swear I never meant to cause you any real pain."

"But you did, you did and now I'm all alone. Alone and cold. My father was right, I'm not strong enough for the real world, I can't survive without him," she cried. Trowa carefully wrapped his arms around her shaking body and held her to him.

"You're not alone. I'm here, I promise I'll always be here from now on," Trowa whispered.

"I want my mother back. I just want to say I'm sorry for all the pain I caused her," Hotaru whimpered.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I took her away from you," Trowa apologized and felt himself wanting to cry for hurting Hotaru. "I can't bring her back and I'm sorry."

"Just don't leave me. I don't want to be alone," she said and Trowa kissed her gently on the brow before guiding her to his car to take her to his home.

++Miny Epilogue++

Trowa watched Hotaru play Monopoly with Heero and Duo, winning as usual. The diamond ring on her finger twinkled brightly, reminding Trowa of their early engagement. It had been a year since the incident where Hotaru had lost both her parents and she still needed more time before she was ready for that type of commitment, not too mention she wanted to finish high school and college.

Trowa had brought her to the safe house the night of the shooting and so far she had adapted very nicely to the life style of moving from place to place and the other gundam members. Duo and Heero had a particular soft spot for her. Trowa still couldn't't leave on a mission more than a few days long or without swearing that he wouldn't do anything stupid. //Yeah she's doing pretty well.//

Or at least it seemed that way during the day when she was around people but it was different at night when they were in bed. It was routine now, Trowa almost missed it when he went away from home. Hotaru would climb in to bed, kiss him on the cheek then turn over and turn off the lights. Trowa would change his breathing, almost drifting into sleep only to woken by a familiar soft crying. His heart would break once more in guilt and he would gather her closer to him, re-enforcing the fact that he would never leave. Only then would Hotaru stop crying and fell asleep.

"Heero, you're out of money," Hotaru stated.

"I'll borrow some from Duo," Heero answered easily.

"You already owe me $500 dollars, buddy," Duo said.

"I'll pay you back later," Heero promised.

"You don't have any spaces Heero, admit it, you lost," Hotaru gestured to the board and Trowa gave a small chuckle. Maybe she wouldn't cry tonight, maybe everything would be okay tonight.

+++

1-When my friend and I can't thnk of anything to say I say hmm and as not to copy me because he loates being any sort of clone, he says hnn.

****

Author's Note: It wasn't long, only like 9 pages. I actually thought I could have made the very ending a little bit better but this was like my 5th time re-writing it and I really want to move on with my next story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review.


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